Lions on the line for cancer patients

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 638, 28 May 1996, Page 3

Lions on the line for cancer patients

Ruapehu Lions join colleagues from throughout the central North Island to raise funds this weekend to ensure the future of Ozanam House, a facility which provides accommodation for cancer patients and their carers when being treated at Palmerston North Hospital. A telephone appeal is being held in the Waimarino over Queen's Birthday Weekend. Lions will setting up their appeal control centre at the Lions Den in Arawa Street this week. The special computer controlled system will be used to phone every subscriber in the Waimarino, asking for donations. Once called, people can leave donations at the Waimarino Rural Health Centre in Seddon Street, Raetihi, or at the Bank of New Zealand in Ohakune. Health sector restructuring has seen the majority of cancer treatment in the region centralised at Palmerston North and this has resulted in a large increase in demand for Ozanam House facilities. The Lions hope to raise $500,000 to upgrade existing wings and for an additional building — to be called the Lloyd Morgan Wing after the only New Zealand Lions member ever to be elected International President of the organisation. "Lions have already held several fund-raising events, with projects as wide ranging as a 'Dag Day' and 'Can-a-thon' in Gisborne through to bagging compost in Waipukurau," said Lions Ozanam Trust secretary Tony Finnigan, "but we're pinning our biggest hopes on the telephone appeal." With hundreds of people making use of Ozanam House

every year, Mr Finnigan says the facility has been an important factor in making access to cancer treatment easier for those who have to travel many kilometres from their homes

Patients from Gisborne in the east to New Plymouth in the west and south to Wairarapa sometimes have treatment periods of six to eight weeks at Palmerston Hospital. Being able to stay at Ozanam House, with their carer if they choose, where no charge is made for the accommodation not only gives people a "home away from home" — it removes the added stress of financial problems when people have more important things to worry about, Mr Finnigan said. A young woman staying at Ozanam House recently said, 'We're all pretty much in the same boat here — we can relate to each other and that makes it easier. "I have a fi ve-year-old at home and juggling the treatment with childcare is hard enough without having to worry about the cost of accommodation. It's one less thing to worry about." Another woman said she had been apprehensive about having to stay with strangers. "But everyone's been marvellous. you'd think we'd known each other all our lives. I brought a TV here with me, but I haven't even watched it." "No-one wants to need Ozanam House but when they do need it, it' s great to have it there. W e always emphasise the point Ozanam House is not a hospice. It's not a place people come to die — it's where they come to get well," said Mr Finnigan. "We want to make sure everyone who needs it, can take advantage of it. I hope everyone will gi ve generously to the appeal — you never known when you might need it yourself."